Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) - Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann on Friday described protesters who interrupted her foreign policy speech aboard the USS Yorktown the day before as "ignorant" and "disrespectful."

"They haven't been told what was done for them and that's what's a shame. And I think that as soon as they would know, if they understood the heavy price that was paid for that First Amendment right, they'd be much more respectful," Bachmann said while shaking hands at a Veterans Day parade in Columbia, South Carolina.
On Thursday, about a dozen protesters caused a stir when they stood up and delivered a coordinated message through a tactic known as a "human microphone," where one person yells out a message and the rest of the group repeats it collectively. A group called Occupy Charleston claimed on its website that it has staged the interruption.

"Blaming people that disagree with you, unpatriotic socialists… this does not help the American people," the group shouted.

The disturbance drowned out the Minnesota congresswoman's remarks, and she briefly left the stage until it was over. When she returned, she praised the group's right to protest.

"Don't you just love the First Amendment? It's great, we have a great country and I want to thank you all for your understanding," she said.

But at the parade on Friday, after a woman unrelated to the group apologized for what happened at the speech, Bachmann talked about the incident with a harsher tone than the one she took the previous day

"I was surrounded by heroes yesterday on the USS Yorktown who paid a big price for them, and they're just ignorant of that," Bachmann responded. "That's all. They're ignorant and they were disrespectful, but you know someday hopefully they'll come to know the price that was applied."

soundoff(587 Responses)

DAK

"SixDegrees

I loathe Bachmann. But I loathe these protesting oafs a thousand times more, because rather than engage in discourse they are attempting to shut it down completely. I can't think of a behavior more fundamentally un-American than preventing someone from speaking. In our society, we are expected to answer speech we disagree with using reasoned discussion. To simply drown out a speaker is odious, childish and intolerant in the extreme."

Did you say the same when it was the TEA Party people at the townhalls? I'll bet you didn't... you are just like MB.

November 11, 2011 01:35 pm at 1:35 pm |

FLIndependent

"I guess I'll vote for him just to irritate the congressional conservatives, because there doesn't appear to be a viable opponent. Four more years of deadlock."

__________________________

If you do the right thing and vote all the obstructionists out then there won't be 4 more years of deadlock and we can get back on track where we were before the Repubs took over the House.

November 11, 2011 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

Al-NY,NY

Hey Michelle....remember your hero Joe Wilson..."YOU LIE" during the presidents' speech? THAT was ignorant and disrespectful

November 11, 2011 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

Voice of Reason

Weird picture, though... Why is she dressed as a rodeo clown? Is that some kind of metaphor?

November 11, 2011 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

Kevin

Bachmann calling other disrespectful and ignorant – look in the mirror Michelle!

November 11, 2011 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

Arch

as the teabaggers are hell bent on destroying this country, once again, it's up to the left to save it. were teabaggers in charge 75 years ago, can anyone doubt they would have sided with nazi germany. it is no wonder that the teaparty is seen as the craven losers that they are.

November 11, 2011 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |

fred

Can we forget the tactics of the anti health insurance reformers... how they showed up at town meetings and shouted down everyone else, while they carried pictures of our President bearing a Hitler mustache? And she supported that rabble, didn't she?

November 11, 2011 01:37 pm at 1:37 pm |

volksmaniac

It's so funny to read the comments here . It's hilarious to see how threatened people are by an intelligent , conservative , white woman . they respond like they just had a spider on their arm . In their panic , all constructive reasoning goes away , and all they can do is say how terrible the spider was . they need to " man up " and stop being afraid of a beautiful , outspoken woman . Bunch of cry-babies .
Having said that , I would add that she is absolutely gorgeous !

November 11, 2011 01:38 pm at 1:38 pm |

NVa Native

From some one who stands infront of her supporters/followers and gets cheered for constantly being "ignorant & disresepectful" she's being childish when the same happens to her.
And she says the protesters don't understand what our Veterans sacrificed for??? – what a witch!

November 11, 2011 01:38 pm at 1:38 pm |

Bob R., Lanham, Maryland

LISTEN! Michelle Bachman, Joe Walsh, and the rest of you Tea Party people: try listening. That's what you are paid to do – LISTEN!.

November 11, 2011 01:39 pm at 1:39 pm |

Martha in CF

I think the teabaggers did this same thing last year!!!! I think sometimes, Michele, it is just better to keep your mouth shut...

Obama/Biden 2012

November 11, 2011 01:39 pm at 1:39 pm |

nightsun2k7

She is such a tool, hard to believe that she would use your countries heros as an excuse not to make use of the very rights that they have fought for, typical right wing hypocrite.

November 11, 2011 01:39 pm at 1:39 pm |

CEL1

Ignorant of what ? Disrespectful of whom ? Remember, when you point the finger at someone else, there are 3 others pointing back at you. You have no respect for the American people. You are the latest version of Victim in Chief, now tha Palin took her riches and left the scene. Kindly, take your ignorant drivel and your disrespect of the American people and go away. You're a loser and you got no shot of winning anything.

November 11, 2011 01:40 pm at 1:40 pm |

Dean

Hey, libs...as bad as Bachmann seems, she would make a much better president than the idiot we currently have.

November 11, 2011 01:41 pm at 1:41 pm |

prairiedale

Almost as disrespectful as the Tea Bag people spitting on congressmen and women before signing the healthcare law?

November 11, 2011 01:41 pm at 1:41 pm |

mack

I would not call them ignorant. In fact they seem to be quick studies. They sure caught on fast the Tea Party playbook.

Bachmann why don't y go back to Minnesota we do not want to listen to u. I do not know how people in Minnesota elected u to the Congress . .....

November 11, 2011 01:43 pm at 1:43 pm |

Rick Willard

A little hard to engage in discourse when she's the only one with a stage and a microphone.

November 11, 2011 01:43 pm at 1:43 pm |

Craig from Pa.

Talk about Ignorant!!!............. Look in the mirror Micky!

November 11, 2011 01:43 pm at 1:43 pm |

uncle jimbo

Right on target Mike – It was just fine for her T baggers to interrupt Democratic representatives during the Insurance town hall meetings, but don't you dare make a sound when she is out there spewing her disdain for the working class.

November 11, 2011 01:43 pm at 1:43 pm |

Charlotte

So....she clearly is too dim to get it. Nobody is protesting the veterans. They could be protesting her (since she's dumb as a box of rocks and generally offensive to intelligent voters). They could be protesting the wars, which are highly unpopular. But nobody is disrespecting the veterans. Besides, exactly what was Iraq a war defending? Iraq never threatened us. Bachman, go learn a little about history.

November 11, 2011 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

FLIndependent

"So if this was fine for folks to do, why was there a big uproar when the one Rep called obama a liar during the state of the union address a couple of years back????"

____________________________

Seriously?? That was a Congressman calling the elected President of the United States, in a State of the Union speech, a liar. Nothing like that has ever occurred before. If you don't see the difference then I know why we have such a need for more education in this country.

November 11, 2011 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

bob

If you and texas governor would run together it would be called Dumb and Dumber

November 11, 2011 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

Brian

Sorry, Michelle. The First Ammendment applies to everyone. I'm sure you had no problem when the tea partiers were heckling the Democratic Congressmen and Senators during the health care town hall debates. Free speech is a two way street.

November 11, 2011 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

Don

Poor Michelle! She can't even keep up with Herman C or Ricky P in the crazy department any more. While you're in SC remind the christian Conservatives about the last 3 verses in the Book of Revelation maybe it will help you with Mitt.